Paula Boggs Band - Live At Sweetwater Music Hall (Boggs Media LLC)

We live in a world where technology is driving a move away from traditional music forms, so much so that artists can carve whole careers out for themselves, never learning an instrument in the conventional sense and never playing live. Samples and digital manipulation have replaced instrumental prowess, and the online platform has become their stage.

So, it is always great when you come across a great band. Not only a great band but a great band doing their thing live and doing it great! Even if such music is found outside your preferred genre, you can still appreciate the talent at work, something you don’t get when you download the latest laptop-generated, sample-driven, AI-enhanced piece of electro-pop. Thankfully, Paula Boggs Band makes music well inside my comfort zone, so I love everything about this album.

Taking a slinky New Orleans groove and some sweet soul sass, bluesy guitar lines, and a whole lot of old-time country vibes, Paula leads the band live through some fantastic songs. But it isn’t just talent on show; there is plenty of humor too, as songs such as “Ponies,” a song about her parent’s attempts at raising horses, demonstrate.

“King Brewster” charts one of her ancestor’s journey from bondage to (supposed) freedom, a jaunty folk piece driving on simple beats and superb mandolin, “We All Fall Down” is a groovesome country jive, and “Get Together” is a beguiling roots anthem built on the band’s own unique chemistry.

Nothing is better than a talented band in full flow in the live arena. Actually, one thing is, and that is said performance being captured for prosperity on record. And that is precisely what this is.

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